we live in cities you'll never see on screen
by katanafleet
Summary: collection of short one-shots about captain swan from the perspective of assorted people from storybrooke. to be updated whenever someone tells me "do this person!" and i somehow obey.
1. Ruby

To be completely honest, Ruby thought that the princess and her pirate were the cutest couple she'd seen since Snow and Charming. Of course, Ashley and Sean were adorable, and Philip and Aurora had that True Love's Kiss going for them, but something about Emma and Hook appealed to Ruby's wolf tendencies: the good with the bad, the light with the dark.

When she had first met Charming—in the forest, with Prince Charles—goodness, that was _Killian Jones_ —she had immediately thought about how adorable he and Snow would be as a couple. Barely a year and a half later and one sleeping curse and one True Love's Kiss, they were the happiest couple Ruby had ever seen.

So. Cute.

But truthfully, Emma and Killian were starting to make Snow and Charming look like amateurs in the True Love Game. Of course, they probably weren't actually together at the moment, but still.

Ruby thought over the last few weeks of Zelena mess as she looked out the window of Granny's Diner. Emma and Hook had done pretty well, really.

Hook had found Emma in New York, had brought her back to Storybrooke, had stayed with her pretty much 24/7, and had been absolutely devoted to her.

Every time Emma looked at Hook, it was thankful eyes or adoring eyes or best friend eyes. Eyes that Ruby bet had never truly appeared on Emma "I do best on my own" Swan's face.

Aaah, they were so cute.

She looked out at them on Granny's patio. They were talking, probably about their adventure back in the past—Ruby still couldn't get over that, that Leia and Charles had been her _goddaughter_ and her goddaughter's _pirate_.

Hook's face was flip-flopping between solemn and a playful grin. Ruby couldn't see Emma's face, but it was probably about the same. They were completely focused on each other; Hook would probably normally notice that the she-wolf, as she was fondly referred to as, was staring at them. But Emma's eyes weren't moving from his.

Hook's mouth formed "Aye", or something like that. Emma sat still for one moment, not moving—then she leaned forward. Slowly, slowly—oh, goodness, they were kissing.

Part of Ruby's brain wanted to yell out to the diner, "LOOK GUYS! EMMA AND HOOK ARE KISSING!" but she knew that really wouldn't go over well.

Now, usually, Ruby wouldn't stare at a couple making out on her granny's patio. People did it all the time, herself included. Normally, she'd try not to think about couples making out on her granny's patio, including herself. However, she couldn't stop staring at Emma and Hook.

It was quickly growing pretty passionate, she thought. But what drew Ruby's attention wasn't the fact that if she moved to the other window really slowly she could see their faces properly, or that Snow and Charming were now parading Neal around for a final royal thing and probably wanted to leave with the baby (seriously though, how could they name him Neal? Neal Nolan, terrible name. Not that she was actually going to tell her best friend, but still).

It was Hook's hand in Emma's hair, Emma's hand at the back of his neck, the way they were drawing closer together, then they pulled apart to just smile at each other before surging back together. It was the way that they looked so in love, like it would take a couple of stampeding horses and a tornado and the regenerations of Zelena and Cora to make them pull away from each other.

It looked like love. True love, most likely. If there was a curse, Ruby knew somehow, it would be breaking with a flash of a rainbow, like when Storybrooke's curse ended.

Ruby would watch them so closely, to be ready to go "HA I KNEW IT" when they finally realized it.


	2. Aurora

To get one thing straight, Aurora didn't like Hook. She hadn't liked him at the beginning, when they met in the Enchanted Forest, when he was a villain, and she didn't like him now, even though he was a supposedly reformed person.

She respected Emma Swan. She was the sheriff, she was the daughter of Snow White and Charming, and she was royalty. If they had been in the Enchanted Forest, Aurora would have campaigned for the marriage of Emma and another royal, not Emma and a pirate.

But she had to, albeit grudgingly, admit that Hook and Emma were a good match.

She was strolling baby Philip through the streets of Storybrooke when she saw them. Emma was walking down the street toward her yellow driving machine, and Hook was leaning against it, a coffee lifesaver drink in his hand and another resting on the driving machine. When he turned and saw her, a tiny grin burst over his face. Emma smiled in reply and took the coffee he offered.

They kissed quickly, their grins only getting brighter, and then walked down the street, arms wrapped around each other.

They were adorable. Aurora couldn't deny it. She watched as they strolled down the street, focused on each other, probably talking about something or another. Eventually they reached the library and Killian kissed Emma on the forehead before watching her walk down the adjoining street.

Aurora couldn't stop the grin. Fine. They were perfect for each other, almost as perfect as she and Philip were. Not quite, of course, but close. She was willing to bet, not a lot, of course, since there's only so much money a former prince and princess in a new land can earn, that they'd be true love.

The princess and the pirate, Aurora mused as she kept strolling baby Philip along. Not traditional, but certainly not impossible. She kind of liked it.


	3. Cora

Cora hadn't meant to find the mirror.

Turns out in the wonderful land of the Underworld, there was a mirror that let the holder see into the Land of the Living. She quickly took to glancing through it every so often, to check up on her daughters and whatever they were doing.

It caused a few awkward moments for her that left Cora very nearly blushing and returning to her paperwork—seriously, what _did_ her daughters see in Robin Hood? But one of her favorite discoveries was seeing Hook.

Hook hadn't just allowed the Swan girl to best him more than once and then toss her aside like Cora imagined him doing to other women. He'd fallen in love with her, completely and truly. Cora, after checking on Regina's messed-up life and Zelena's frankly disturbing life and wincing in sympathy and revulsion respectively, liked to think about Hook for a few moments and see what he was up to.

As time went on, he spent more of his life with Emma, working with her, adventuring with her, encouraging her, kissing her, and going on lunch dates with her. Cora can't help laughing at how far both of them have come; she's a changed woman with her heart and proper emotions returned; she can appreciate a good redemption story, unless it's her own.

Cora was busy with an uprising of assorted unresolved problems of people and didn't get the chance to look through the mirror for nearly two weeks. When she finally collapsed in her chair in the facsimile of Regina's office, she grabbed for the mirror.

Regina and Zelena and the others were in a different realm, probably Camelot. Emma was clothed in white but Cora easily saw the darkness swirling around within.

Over the next week, Cora watched diligently over her little band of Storybrooke people in Camelot. She saw the love between Hook and Emma more clearly with each passing day. Emma was trying to stay away from the darkness, and Hook was encouraging her in every way he could.

It touched Cora's heart, really.

The final day in Camelot was a blur. Hook's wound breaking open, Hook dying, Emma crying, Emma turning him into the Dark One, the Dark One killing Merlin, the Dark Curse. Cora watched the day unfurl with widened eyes, no longer focusing on her daughters, but on the two most evil creatures in the universe.

There was another uprising—the Underworld was growing restless—while the Dark Swan wreaked havoc in Storybrooke.

Cora watched through the mirror on the last day Hook was alive. She watched as the Dark One almost destroyed the family he loved. She watched as he became Killian again and forced Emma to kill him. She watched as Emma cried on the body of the man she loved.

Then she heard it. The faint clang of the dong that means someone arrived in the Underworld. It was Hook; she knew it.

But as Cora watched the mirror—she knew that Emma Swan would be visiting soon enough, to reclaim the man she loved.


	4. Snow and Charming

Killian Jones woke with a start.

He seemed to be on his couch in his and Emma's white picket fence house. For a few moments, he kept his eyes shut and analyzed his situation. He didn't hear anything, and he didn't smell anything burning.

Then he felt the warm weight against his chest, moving slowly up and down with breaths in tune with his own, and the little hand that seemed to be curled around his knee, and he remembered why he was sleeping on his admittedly comfortable couch instead of in his really bloody comfortable bed.

Emma's parents had approached him the day before, a bit sheepishly, and asked if he and Emma could watch Neal while they went on a date. Emma, who'd been standing a few feet away cooing at Alexandra in Sean's arms, had whirled around and said, "I thought you had someone to watch him?"

Snow had flushed very slightly. "I _may_ have lied. I thought that Robin and Regina would be able to take him, but it turns out they're also having a date night and Granny doesn't want to have to deal with Roland, Audrey, and Neal all at once."

"Could you take my son off my hands for one evening, Killian?" David had asked, cutting his wife off from her tirade that, to Killian's amusement, would probably have continued until Emma agreed to babysit her brother.

Killian had glanced at Emma to find her eyes begging him not to accept, but honestly, the lad wasn't much trouble – Emma's magic was more than enough to handle the lad's growing abilities – and he, according to David, absolutely adored sleeping. So Killian had, wincing at the oncoming too-tight grip on his bicep from his beloved fiancée, agreed.

The squeeze was more of a pinch, he had had to admit as he rubbed at his arm and grinned as Emma leaned over to grab Neal from David. She'd turned back with a smile that promised more retribution – she had implied earlier that morning that she meant for the two of them to spend the evening in bed doing "Netflix and chill", which by her tone and sultry smirk was something he would approve of – but he had just leaned over the squirming and occasionally sparking two year old to kiss her soundly.

One catcall from Ruby and infinite thanks from David and Mary Margaret later, they were watching their brother and soon-to-be brother-in-law making fireworks on the ceiling, Emma reaching out her hand to extinguish the occasional flame and Killian resting his chin on her head and watching the child's light show. He'd fallen asleep after an hour of pretty lights, random shouts for "Henwy" or "Killy," and occasional animal crackers, leaving Emma to pick him up, cradle him in her arms like he was still a few months old, and pull Killian over to the couch with her to watch whatever show she was obsessed with now.

Flash forward about five hours. Then Killian finally heard the noise that had woken him up. Whispers were coming from the kitchen, very soft, like they were trying to rob the house. Killian had a slightly higher opinion of robbers, however, and listened for the tell-tale sounds that would assure him that the voices belonged to Snow and Charming.

"Where are they?" David asked, his voice rising just a little. Killian let out a slight exhale in relief. Snow, judging by the footsteps, walked up to the back of the couch and peered over.

"David, look," she said, her voice very nearly trembling. Killian knew the sight she saw – Killian leaning back against the couch, Emma curled into his side, his left arm around her shoulders with the hook removed, and Neal sprawled across their laps, their hands holding him in place as well as they could – was adorable, but he was just enough of an eavesdropping pirate to not open his eyes and see the princess' face.

"Aww, they're adorable," David said drily. He was standing in front of them, probably right next to Snow. "Let me grab my son and we can be off."

Neal made a squeaking sleepy noise and a very brief flash of light as David extricated him from their little pile. Emma made a noise of protest and probably tried to reach out for her brother, but didn't wake up. She grunted softly and curled herself further into Killian's side, her hand wandering up his stomach and chest to rest on his heart, pressing just hard enough to feel the thump of his heartbeat.

There was silence. Killian decided that the Charmings were just looking down at them. He waited for them to leave or to start a hope speech to their apparently sleeping children.

"You know," David mused quietly. "I really didn't like him at first."

"Nor did I," Mary Margaret agreed.

"He was arrogant and flirtatious and a pirate and too aware of his own attractiveness."

"I know," Mary Margaret said as she probably rocked Neal, who was starting to fuss a little bit. "But he's changed so much."

David sighed. "For her. I can't believe I'm saying it, but they're perfect for each other."

Mary Margaret giggled. "I saw that the first day at the beanstalk," she admitted. "It was terrible. The infamous _Captain Hook_ and the woman I'd just found out was our baby. And they complemented each other perfectly, even then."

"They're like us," David said. "Helping the other in weakness and always fighting by the other's side. Always encouraging and waiting and… finding each other." Judging by the slight tightness and wonder in Dave's voice, it was surprising even the prince that he was saying such things.

Brief silence. Mary Margaret probably kissed her husband on the cheek, and then Killian heard footsteps move around the couch. Killian was almost drifting back to sleep when he felt the blanket he most preferred being tucked around him and Emma. Emma let out a soft groan of contentment and pushed her nose into Killian's collarbone and Killian couldn't help but flex his arm just enough to pull her just a little farther in.

Silence again. Then David said in slightly choked wonder, "She loves him so much."

"She does," Mary Margaret echoed.

"And I wish it hadn't taken us so long to figure it out," David said, his voice growing quieter. Killian felt another presence getting closer, then felt more than heard Mary Margaret kiss Emma on the temple. There was a slight pause, and then she pushed his bangs away and kissed him lightly on the forehead, like a mother to her child. "Thank you, Killian," Mary Margaret whispered. "For loving Emma so much, and for bringing her home so many times."

Then Killian heard both sets of footsteps retreat, back to the door, and he heard it lock behind them. He looked down at the woman he loved so much more than anything else in the world, and couldn't help smiling. And then he closed his eyes, and fell asleep once more.


	5. August

August was in considerable pain. Considering that he'd just been tied up for several hours, been threatened by the Dark One, and tortured by the Evil Queen, Ursula, Maleficent, and Cruella de Vil, it was understandable.

He was intrigued by Cruella, though. He understood that most of the fairy tales of the world were real, etc., but he had never considered that _Cruella de Vil_ of Bring Death to Puppies Land was real.

But then Snow and Charming and Emma burst in to save him. Mary Margaret knocked Cruella out with a frying pan, Emma magicked him loose, pretty much free except for the actual running, when Ursula came back into the cottage.

She looked both triumphant and devastated.

"No one is going anywhere."

Emma's eyes darted around, somehow in complete disbelief that Ursula was there. "Where the hell is Hook? What did you do to him?"

"Sorry, sweetheart." Ursula strolled into the room like she owned it – well, she did own their attention, August had to admit. "Your boyfriend is shark bait."

Then she whipped out a tentacle and pulled Mary Margaret in, choking her. Emma threw her hands up, about to blast Ursula away from her mother, but Ursula raised a finger.

"Drop those hands. Or your mother is gonna need gills to breathe."

August looked at Emma, and, as she slowly lowered her hands into fists, he saw only two things in her eyes. Desperation, probably for the fact that her mom was about to be strangled before their eyes. And grief.

Apparently, the tiny little Emma, the one he'd failed to protect twenty-eight years ago, had actually fallen in love with Captain Hook.

He had memories of seeing them around town from when he was the small little Pinocchio once more. Emma smiled when he handed her coffee; Hook's eyes softened when he saw her; she laughed when he walked up from behind her to hug her and kiss her.

It astonished August, really, that that woman he had met in Storybrooke more than a year ago, that woman with her walls up and her emotions and feelings guarded, had become this—a woman who could love again, who could let someone love her, who could open herself up _that much_ and let someone like the pirate inside.

August was still thinking—and also how to _run_ —when Emma spoke. "Ursula, you don't need to do this."

"That's where you're wrong. I can't have him leave with you. Not when the Author is the only one who can give me what I want."

Darn, she was talking about him. Was a peaceful life too much to ask for?

"That's not true," an accented voice sounded from the door. August saw tension literally and figuratively fall from Emma's shoulders as she let out a sigh of relief.

Ursula berated and Hook bantered as the man walked over to Emma's side. Emma's hand immediately rose to clutch Hook's arm, like a lifeline.

When Ursula's _father_ walked in – seriously, this town was messed up enough without adding _Poseidon_ to the mix – Ursula let Mary Margaret go, back into David's arms, and August couldn't help a bit of relief.

As Poseidon and Ursula talked in the nonsensible and typical once-again-Disney-got-the-story-weirdly-wrong way, August loosened the scarf around his neck and glanced over at Emma and Hook. She had moved closer to him, his hooked arm wrapped around her carefully yet tightly. She clutched at his leather lapel like it was her solid ground, the only thing keeping her standing, as Ursula got her voice back.

Then Poseidon and his daughter hugged in a touching family moment that August generally tried to avoid. In an attempt to avoid seeing the touchy-feely-ness, he glanced back at Emma and Hook. He was watching the sea people hug, an expression of satisfaction on his uncomfortably handsome face. Emma's eyes were turned up to his, her smile proud and happy and _loving_.

Naturally, in the midst of all the happiness, they had forgotten to watch Cruella, and David said, "She must have slipped away, most likely to warm Gold. We should clear out before they get back." There was a general silent consensus as Ursula thanked Hook, and Emma made sure that August didn't fall and break his newly human-once-more nose.

"Are you okay?" All he could do was nod and let David and Mary Margaret help him out of the cabin.

It didn't escape his notice, though, that Emma and Hook stayed behind.


	6. Henry

Henry walked home from school slowly, thinking. Violet had hugged him before skipping toward her own home, not even talking, somehow knowing that he needed to be alone. He really liked her. Killian would laugh, probably.

 _I have actual magic in my life_ , she'd said. Emma – his mom – called him _magic_. She said that she wouldn't change a _thing_ in her life, even though she was going to die. She was going to die and it was because of him, because he found her and brought her to Storybrooke.

He sniffled again and rubbed his nose. Seemed like he'd been doing that a lot lately. It was annoying. But it was a burden, knowing that your mother was going to die and you were the Author, chosen by Merlin himself, and you couldn't do anything about it.

Henry walked up the steps to Emma's house, where his mom and Killian would be waiting, and he had a huge desk for his writing and homework, and the fireplace in the living room, and Killian's mac and cheese, and the promise of a cat or a dog, and the eventual new sibling, and all the love he could possibly handle, and the air of doom over the whole beautiful façade.

He opened the door and stepped inside. He could smell the mac and cheese and he couldn't help his grin. He heard giggling and a deep chuckle and braced himself for therapy. But they were sitting upright on the couch, Killian's arm around Emma's shoulders. The TV was on and Henry recognized Disney's _Aladdin_. The genie was doing one of his long songs, and normally Henry would have paid attention to Robin Williams. But he couldn't keep his eyes off his mom and her love.

They weren't really paying attention to the movie. Emma laughed at something Killian said and patted his head gently. He turned just enough that Henry could see his profile and grinned so widely that Henry could have believed his smile could light up the room. That bright. Really. Killian leaned his head down until their foreheads touched, and Emma wrinkled her nose, still smiling.

They loved each other so, so much. Henry had seen it from the beginning, back when he didn't have his memories back – he saw the way the strange man in the leather and the fake hand looked at his mom. Then he saw the way that she looked back; or rather, when she didn't have to look back, not really, because they could read each other's minds from across the room.

Then in the alternate reality, when Killian had died, Henry had listened to his moms talking. He'd heard Emma whisper about her _love_ for Killian when she hadn't been able to tell him before he died. He watched them in Camelot, how he and Killian were really the only ones who could help the Dark Swan; he found the house in the newspaper and cheered for them, and watched as Emma killed him. Henry watched Emma's face in the Underworld, saw how she was breaking, fracturing because she didn't know if she would ever see Killian again.

How could she not want to change things? Just a few things. To keep Killian alive, to make sure they were together, but make sure Emma didn't die. That's all he wanted to do.

He inhaled shakily and Killian heard him. He turned around and stood, just as Emma saw him. "Henry?" Killian asked. "What is it?"

Then Henry couldn't hold it in anymore. "It's because of me," he said, a few tears escaping. "You two aren't going to get your happy ending, when you both deserve it more than anyone, and you'll be all broken, Killian, and you'll leave, and everything's my fault—"

His words were cut off as Killian stepped up to him and hugged him, so tightly that he was having a bit of difficulty breathing. He hugged him back and pressed his forehead into Killian's chest. His ears were roaring, and the noise was loud enough that he could only barely hear Killian's voice near his ear. He was whispering, "It's okay, I'm not leaving, no matter what happens, it's okay, it's okay, Henry, it's okay."

Finally Henry could hear again. Killian loosed his hold on him just a little, but he didn't pull away. "Breathe, my boy, it's okay, breathe," Killian murmured. He took in a few hiccups of breath. "Come here, lad," he said, and led Henry over to the couch. Henry sat down next to Emma and just breathed for a few moments. It was all still running through his head: _Mom dying Mom leaving Killian leaving Mom dying my fault everything's my fault_.

Emma wrapped her arm around him and pulled him close, until his head was resting on her shoulder. The three of them sat in silence for a few moments, Henry halfway on top of his mom and Killian clutching his shoulder. Finally Emma spoke.

"I don't know if you heard earlier, Henry, but you are my _world_. You're my first true love, and you're my main reason for living. You're the reason I'm going to fight this." She took her own shaky breath, and her hand moved to cradle his head. "In the vision, I'm fighting, and I look at you two, and I see your faces, and you're the reason I'm fighting, to protect you. We're going to beat this, Henry."

"And no matter what happens, Henry, I'm never going to leave you," Killian said quietly, in a tone that gave no room for argument. "You and your grandparents and this town have dug yourselves too deeply into me, and even if we can't stop Emma's vision, I will never leave you. Not even hell itself could take me from your side."

Henry shuddered again, his voice still shaky. "But—"

"Nope," Emma and Killian said in unison. "I won't let it happen," Killian said. "I would sooner—"

"No. You are not dying again. Not allowed." Emma dismissed Killian's words with a brief glare. Henry nodded vigorously. Then he sighed.

"It is all my fault, though, really. That all of this has happened."

"It's not your fault, Henry," Killian reassured. "None of this is your fault. Your mother and I would have gotten into—"

"What he means to say, is that it's not your fault, and you can't blame yourself for anything that's happened." Emma's tone was almost begging. Henry let one last shuddering breath escape. His head fell backwards and he groaned melodramatically. Killian chuckled.

Almost in unison, Emma and Killian leaned their heads down on top of Henry's, until he could imagine that their own heads were touching. Emma reached out with the remote and turned the movie back on. Robin William's voice blasted through the living room. All three of them laughed.

And Henry smiled. He settled back between his mom and her true love, and they laughed and joked until the sun set.

Watching them that night – Henry knew he would not let anything separate them. Ever. No matter what happened, no matter what he had to do. To the end of the world or time.


	7. Regina

quick author's note: i had one or two requests for what amounted to a swan queen story involving henry. this is not that story. this is a captain swan story from the viewpoint of regina mills, who is mourning robin hood. this is a collection of captain swan one shots. the requested story or one very very similar can almost certainly be found among swan queen fanfiction. thank you very much, and read on if you like regina and captain swan. *hugs*

* * *

It's been two weeks since Robin's death.

Regina still feels nothing.

It's just agony and sorrow and nothingness. Robin – her last chance, her love, her future – is dead.

And Hook's alive.

She can't pretend it doesn't make her hate Emma and Killian a little – okay, a lot – that she's had her love restored to her while hers dissipated before her at Hades' hand. (She does have to bless Zelena for that. She's killed her love before, and she has an idea of what Zelena has to be feeling.)

And she's not particularly sorry that Hook's alive again – it doesn't make her really want to go all Evil Queen again. She's always begrudgingly liked the man, just a little. His sass make him a worthy opponent vocally, and his past as a villain – however un-villainous he was at times – make him something she could nearly call a friend.

And, of course, his absolute adoration of Emma Swan.

Her former enemy. One she used to despise and who used to despise her. They don't despise each other anymore. They certainly will never be bosom friends – Regina can consider them friends, but she's done the saviour too much wrong in the past to expect such a friendship.

She can admit that. Confession and admittance of wrongs. Something else Robin helped her with. (That's how she knows they were good for each other. She helped Robin finally move on, and Robin finished Henry's years-long work and taught her how to be a hero.)

But now Robin's dead, and she's going to lose Roland – she hadn't argued when Little John declared that he and the rest of the Merry Men were going to try to go back to the Enchanted Forest, and they wanted to take Roland – she knew they were better for the child, no matter how much she loved him. All she'll have left is the baby, and she can't quite look at Robyn yet, knowing that she'll see both her soulmate and her once-wicked sister melded together into the face of an infant.

That will never stop hurting, Regina knows.

Her love is dead and gone.

And she's going to have to watch Emma and Killian arm-in-arm, smiling and laughing and kissing forever.

Regina's definitely jealous.

But she can't deny one thing. One thing that will prevent her from even touching the bond between the two lovers.

As she watches them at Granny's, looking at them – the princess and the pirate – and their love and devotion for each other – it does make her feel something. A kind of stirring in her chest. Releasing. Like the feeling just before breaking down into sobs. (She hasn't truly cried for Robin yet.) But it's also the relief after crying for an hour, the acceptance, the willingness, the truth.

She hasn't felt it in a long time, probably not since before Elsa came to town. She hasn't wanted to, and she hasn't been able to, and she hasn't really needed to.

Regina thinks that maybe it's called hope.


	8. David

He hears footsteps behind him after he throws the disk into the water and the presence beside him disappears. "You okay?" Hook asks.

He can't help a small smile and nod because someone cares. "I think so." He turns around to face the man who saved him today. "I owe you an apology. You were the noble one, not me."

Hook's face shows nothing but confusion.

"And I'm sorry it cost you more than I realized it would. And I'm sorry I risked what you're making with Emma."

"So, you think I'm good enough for her," Hook asks breathlessly.

"You've done the hardest thing anyone can do. You've changed. Today you saved me from making a _terrible_ mistake and I—I don't know if I'm gonna be able to pay you back."

Hook glances to the side as if he's making sure no one's watching, then he looks back at David. "As luck would have it… I might have an idea," he starts, slow and unsure. "There's one way not to lose your family, and that's to let it grow." The only thing David can think is that Hook's about to tell him that Emma's pregnant, and he doesn't know what to do with that information. He waits for Killian to speak again— "David, may I have your blessing to ask for Emma's hand in marriage?"

All David can do is stare at the man who's brought so much to his family: pain in the beginning, yes, but now nothing but happiness and joy and unconditional love. When Killian tries to smile, shakes his head, and exhales sharply, looks to the side as if he's expecting to be given a sharp rebuttal, he realizes he's stared too long. "Of course!" Killian laughs, and he knows he's made the right choice. "Of course, you have my blessing."

"Well, now, that is a relief." The grin on Killian's face makes him think that he's just given the man the entire world on a gold-encrusted platter. Because honestly: they've come so far from Neverland, when Killian was just falling in love with Emma and David promised that she would never fall for a pirate.

Which reminds him. "Well, I mean, it's up to Emma, of course, but yes, you have my blessing!" He shakes hands with his future son-in-law, because he has no doubt of what Emma's answer will be. Who could have said that Captain Hook was going to be Prince Charming's son-in-law? Absolutely crazy. "I didn't realize you were so old-fashioned!" David says.

"Well, I am over two-hundred years old, mate," Killian says self-deprecatingly, as he always does.

"Right, right." They turn to walk away from the water that holds so many memories, back to where the loves of their lives are waiting. "Were you really that nervous?"

"Why would I be nervous? Prince _Charming_ doesn't set the bar high at all."

They laugh for a moment. "Well, I am overdue to wake up Snow, but I won't tell her the news until it's official." And he has no doubt whatsoever that it will be very soon.

Soon he'll get to tell the whole town that his daughter is marrying a pirate.


	9. Granny

Granny really had no idea how other people didn't notice.

Admittedly, it may have been because Hook lived in her inn and Emma Swan spent most of her time in her diner. _But_ , she thought as she rolled her eyes and locked up the cash register, _Emma Swan spent most of her time in the diner._ Where Hook also almost always was.

Right now, they sat at one of the booths, close enough apart that it would be read as totally platonic if a casual passerby saw them. Granny, being the shrewd woman she knew she was, watched from her counter.

Hook smiled at Emma like any man who'd been at sea for far too long would smile at a pretty girl. A smile that Granny would have expected him to have. _Not._ His smile was soft, and kind, and longing. Not for the kind of thing that would have Granny yelling "Get a room, you too!" and meaning it. No, she'd seen plenty of that, enough from her own granddaughter.

Granny shuddered, glared at the image of Ruby in her mind, and then refocused on the couple at the third booth.

Emma was jabbering on about the curse and Henry and her parents and clearly just letting her mind run loose. She'd only seen the girl do this a few times, mostly with Snow before the curse was broken and once or twice with Charming. This was how Emma was with a friend. Open, trusting, not thinking completely before speaking. The little princess she'd longed for was safe in this man's company.

Hook glanced toward the counter. Granny set to polishing the bottles of rum. She was clearly still busy here and it wasn't clearly ten minutes past her after-lunch closing time. Neither of them said anything, but turned to woman and chores respectively.

Granny sighed and turned on her wolf hearing. Snow and Charming were having their meetings more at their loft recently, due to the child on the way, and she still wasn't accustomed to not knowing everything. At least that was her excuse.

"Henry says that he's fine, that he understands why we're here. But that's ridiculous, since he has no idea why we're here, except for if he thinks you hired me to look for David and Mary Margaret. In which case he should be wondering why we're not back in New York yet. Good thing it's fall break."

"He trusts you, Emma. He's fine."

"But sometimes—you know that face he makes, sometimes, when he stares off into space toward the ocean?" Hook made an affirmative hum. Granny glanced toward the pirate quickly. He was spending enough time with Henry to know that look? She knew that look from back before Emma came, when he was a lost little lad searching for answers in a storybook and he and Regina ate in the diner every other day. But _Hook_ knew it? "I think he's starting to remember, just a little."

"Is there anything that could have triggered the lad's memory lately?" Hook asked.

Emma shook her head. "We haven't even found the storybook, let alone anything else that could possibly work. So I don't know what the look really means."

"I think he's looking out to sea because it's beautiful, Emma. The sea has been nothing short of wondrous lately, despite everything that's happening." Hook leans back a little further in his seat and extends his leg beyond the edge of the table. "And if there's a part of him that's remembering Storybrooke, that's wonderful. Right?"

Emma made a noncommittal noise and changed the subject. Hook's eyebrows rose infinitesimally and he leaned forward, just slightly, as Emma started talking about Snow and Charming. Granny stopped paying attention to Emma's words, because she'd heard it all already, mostly from the dwarves. _The baby, what happened in the Enchanted Forest, the baby, their plan for defeating whoever cast the curse, and the baby. All good things, but what in the wolf's name is Hook thinking?_

Hook searched Emma's face, slowly, methodically. Granny didn't know him well enough to know what he was thinking, but she'd seen the man enough to understand that he was thinking. Poring over Emma's face, eyes, and fidgeting fingers and trying to figure out what she truly meant, beyond her speech. He murmured along with Emma's words, just enough to keep Emma's monologue considered a conversation, but he wasn't truly paying attention.

Finally his eyes widened and he sat straight up in the seat. He interrupted Emma's words. "You don't want Henry to get his memories back, do you, love?"

Emma sputtered for a second. "What—why would you say that? Of course I do!" Granny stared at Emma in no small amount of disbelief. The pirate was _right_.

"Why don't you want his memories back, Emma? If he regains his memories, there's a possibility the curse can be broken and we can figure out what the hell happened!" Despite his words, he didn't sound harsh or condemning. The pirate sounded understanding, maybe even gentle. Granny stares at him now. What happened to him to change him from the pirate who almost destroyed the town to the man she sees in front of Emma?

Emma sighed, a shaking one. "I don't know, Killian. I don't know why. I just know that the moment he remembers, everything changes. And—"

"—you don't want things to change. You want to be able to go back to New York without this place lingering over your heads. You don't want to stay."

Emma sighed again. "Our life in New York is good, Killian. Henry has friends he likes, a school he's doing well in, and a place he's safe. I have a job that pays enough for food, an apartment, and savings for college. We've got everything there."

"You don't have your family, Emma. Henry may have his friends, but I know you, Emma. You don't have anyone, not really."

Emma stared into those blue eyes—come on, she has eyes and so does Hook, and his are gorgeous—and Granny ceased breathing, just a bit. Hook was _right_. She could see it in Emma's eyes. Hook was right about Emma wanting to leave Storybrooke and everything behind her. How was he so perceptive about a woman he scarcely knew?

"This town will be your home the moment you let it be, Emma. You just have to let go of whatever's holding you back." Emma's eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly. Hook tensed. Granny thought she was about to have to scream for the dwarves—Grumpy had money on today for the latest "when will the hot people kiss" pool that seemed to change every two weeks—but her phone rang. Hook leaned back in his seat again. That couldn't be _relief_ she saw in his shoulders?

"Okay, Mary Margaret, I'll be over in a minute." Emma hung up the call and stared at Hook again. He stared back. "Mary Margaret wants me to help her look for the storybook."

"Definitely. I'll be around if I'm needed."

Emma nodded and stood. "Thank you for listening, Killian."

"It's my pleasure, Swan."

Then Emma left the diner, one degree away from running. The moment that she was out of view, Hook exhaled loudly, running his hand through his hair and down his face. He stood up slowly and stepped up to the counter and laid several gold pieces down. "My apologies for such a long day." He turned toward the stairs to the inn.

Granny called him back. "Wait, Hook." He turned back, that devilishly handsome smirk trying to make an appearance. "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation with the princess. Are you okay, boy?"

For one moment, she thought he would speak the truth. In that moment, she could see it in the anguish of his eyes. That he loved Emma Swan with all of his black-laced heart. That her leaving again would break him. He brushed his fingers over his lips for a second. "I'm fine," he said with the smile that hides a thousand heartbreaks.

And he disappeared into the darkness of the stairwell. Granny finished the polishing, staring after him. Captain Hook was in love with Emma Swan, the woman who wanted nothing more than to abandon her family and friends. And—aside from the obvious—there was something very, very wrong with him.


	10. Lucy

The whole situation is really awesome, Lucy thinks.

She and her mom and dad are finally in Storybrooke with the rest of her family. She got to meet her great-grandparents, _Snow White and Prince Charming_ , and watch her grandmother, the formerly-Evil Queen, get crowned queen of the huge new combined realm. She wore this gorgeous fancy dress and nothing could really be better.

Her parents, thankfully in love and all happily-ever-after again, enrolled her in Storybrooke Elementary. Her mom bought her loads of school supplies and her dad talked for way too long about how it was where Snow White taught him to believe in magic and gave him the storybook.

They went to Granny's twice in one day, her dad proclaiming that Granny's breakfast was the best—he was right—and dinner was just as good—he was still right. She asked for hot chocolate with cinnamon, and Granny just smiled when she placed the whipped cream masterpiece before her. "Truly a Charming, aren't you?"

Lucy went to bed grinning that night.

Even with all of that, her grandparents were the coolest part of Storybrooke. Of course, Killian Jones wasn't technically her grandfather—step-grandfather was awfully close to real grandfather when she'd never known another, so it didn't matter. After Emma's initial expression of "oh dear god I have a ten-year-old granddaughter" and Killian's straight-up "what the _hell_?" right before the coronation, she and her mom had been accepted as family without a blink.

She and her dad had visited the Swan-Jones house for an hour not too long after their arrival, and Lucy had gotten to hold Hope finally, and her dad had showed her his unchanged bedroom. They'd left quickly, since Hope had started wailing when her brother didn't return her to her father quickly enough and Emma looked about ready to shoot someone.

"We'll call before dropping in next time," her dad had said as they left her grandparents' house. Lucy had nodded emphatically, since the sheriff shooting a family member would not have been good.

Snow issued an invitation to the whole family—Charmings, Joneses, and Mills—that politely and sweetly demanded their presence for a gathering that promised to be both lovely and stressful. Since it involved a lot of royalty, two versions of Captain Hook, and people who had lived in completely different timelines for either about two years or ten years, it couldn't be anything less.

Henry, Jacinda, and Lucy arrived at the Charming farm strictly on time. It was a few miles out of town, just far enough that Lucy could just _barely_ see the heart of Storybrooke. As Killian said, "It's in the middle of nowhere, Dave!" and David pseudo-wistfully replied, "It's as far out as I could manage."

The day passed in a blur of wonder and family. Snow hugged her more times than she could count, Robin promised to teach her archery, and Rogers let her try on his brace and fake hand. She tried Regina's apple turnover (there were some things that took a while to get over, even with full trust and love), Emma laughed at her trepidation, and her dad's resigned eyes agreed to tell the full story when they got home.

As she and the rest of the kids tired and the adults settled down into conversation with tiny glasses of champagne, Lucy found herself staring at her grandparents. Emma had spent most of the day chatting with Lucy's parents, mostly gazing at her now-grown son, and tending to baby Hope whenever Snow wasn't monopolizing her. Killian had alternated the day between baiting David and entertaining the kids.

But now they were sitting next to each other, Killian's arm resting on the back of the couch behind Emma's head. Hope was sprawled out in Emma's lap, cooing up at her parents. Killian pressed his forehead to Emma's temple. "How is she still awake?" Lucy heard him ask.

"I have no idea," Emma murmured back. "Mom was showing her off to everyone for the millionth time, you'd think she'd have been tired out. Hearing _ooh, so cute_ so many times, you know."

Killian laughed. "Everyone here has seen her within the past two weeks. She's growing quickly, too quickly, but not that fast. Although she is the most beautiful baby in the realm, so I can't blame your mother for wanting our family to see her again."

"She should probably go ahead and stop growing, though," Emma said. "You'll be miserable when she gets older." Hope squeaked in agreement or perhaps anticipation for the days of driving her dad absolutely crazy. Lucy grinned. She was going to help with that.

Killian screwed his eyes together tightly and groaned as Emma giggled. Lucy settled further into her seat and watched them. They continued talking, more quietly to encourage Hope to sleep.

Lucy glanced away from them, focusing on Rogers and Alice a few seats away from them. Rogers had relaxed considerably from earlier in the day, when he was still obviously uncomfortable that there was another one of him. He and Killian had talked before the coronation, of course, but this was the first Charming event that he and Alice had really attended. He looked loads better.

She looked back at her grandparents. Emma had moved Hope into Killian's arms, and Killian was staring down at the baby. His expression was the living embodiment of the heart eyes emoji. Lucy started figuring out how to draw a version of his face where he actually had the hearts pouring out of his eyes but was thoroughly distracted when she saw Emma's face.

Emma wasn't looking at Hope for once (Lucy couldn't blame her for normally staring at the baby. Her tiny aunt was _adorable_ ). She was staring at Killian. Lucy's stomach flipped upside-down. This was the true love her book was always talking about, the kind that her parents and great-grandparents also had. Emma's eyes danced, looking at her husband with the softest gaze Lucy had ever seen.

It was the kind of look you give someone when you've been through everything with them, from death to life, and it's done nothing but give you every reason to love them more.

Killian glanced at Emma, his smile growing when he saw that she was smiling at him too. Emma rested her head on Killian's shoulder, the movement causing her to see Lucy.

Lucy looked away as quickly as she could—it was their _moment_ —but when she peeked back, Emma was motioning to her. Lucy jumped up and stepped over to her grandmother's side. Hope made a soft squeak when Emma pulled Lucy into her arms.

Lucy smiled as she settled her head on Emma's shoulder. This was the best sort of love, she thought. Emma's arms holding her tightly. Killian's kiss on Emma's forehead. Hope's tiny smile in her sleep. Lucy sighed happily and closed her eyes, wondering how they'd all gotten so lucky to find each other.


End file.
